Question

identify the products when the benzoic acid undergoes complete neutralization by sodium hydroxide.
select the correct answer below:
sodium benzoate and water
sodium carbonate, benzene, and water
hydrogen, sodium benzoate, and water
none of the above

Explanation:

Step1: Acid - base reaction principle

When an acid (benzoic acid, \(C_6H_5COOH\)) reacts with a base (\(NaOH\)), a neutralization reaction occurs. The general form of an acid - base neutralization reaction is \(acid+base
ightarrow salt + water\).
For benzoic acid (\(C_6H_5COOH\)) and \(NaOH\), the reaction is \(C_6H_5COOH+NaOH
ightarrow C_6H_5COONa + H_2O\). Here, \(C_6H_5COONa\) is sodium benzoate (the salt formed from the benzoate anion \(C_6H_5COO^-\) and the sodium cation \(Na^+\)) and \(H_2O\) is water.

Step2: Analyze other options

• Option 2: Sodium carbonate (\(Na_2CO_3\)) and benzene (\(C_6H_6\)) are not formed in this reaction. There is no source of carbonate ions (\(CO_3^{2 -}\)) in the reactants (benzoic acid and \(NaOH\)) to form sodium carbonate, and benzene is not a product of this simple acid - base neutralization.
• Option 3: Hydrogen (\(H_2\)) is not formed in a typical acid - base neutralization reaction between a carboxylic acid (benzoic acid) and a strong base (\(NaOH\)). In an acid - base neutralization, the hydrogen in the acid (\(H^+\) from \(C_6H_5COOH\)) combines with the hydroxide (\(OH^-\) from \(NaOH\)) to form water (\(H_2O\)), not molecular hydrogen (\(H_2\)).

Answer:

sodium benzoate and water